AMERICAN LEAGUE
Orioles-Devil Rays
BALTIMORE: With OF Corey Patterson on bereavement leave following the death of his grandfather, and OF Jay Payton out with a strained left hamstring, manager Sam Perlozzo decided to have Freddie Bynum start in center instead of Adam Stern, who was recalled Monday from Triple-A Norfolk. “He’s been with us all year,” Perlozzo said of Bynum. “Adam is just getting off rehab.” Stern, coming off a right forearm injury, had been working out with the extended spring training team. … Patterson might be back Wednesday. … Payton will play in an extended spring game Tuesday and could rejoin the team Friday. … C Ramon Hernandez (oblique) will take BP Tuesday and possibly play Wednesday.
TAMPA BAY: 3B Akinori Iwamura was out of the lineup for the first time this season. Manager Joe Maddon said he plans to have Iwamura, who opened his major league career with a nine-game hitting streak, play in 140-to-145 games this year. “He grinds it out everyday,” Maddon said. … RHP Al Reyes has been impressive after missing most of last season following elbow ligament replacement surgery by converting his first four save chances. “He’s truly an artist when it comes to pitching,” Maddon said.
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Royals-Tigers
DETROIT: Monday’s game-time temperature was 55 degrees, 30 degrees warmer than Detroit’s previous scheduled home game, an April 5 matchup against Toronto that was postponed because of cold. … The Tigers have a save in all seven wins this season – the first time they have done that in team history. … Ivan Rodriguez leads active players with 209 hits against the Royals, including Monday’s first-inning grand slam.
KANSAS CITY: Before lasting just two-thirds of an inning Monday, Kansas City starter Zack Greinke has a six-game winning streak against the Tigers dating to 2004. He last beat the Tigers last Sept. 29, pitching three scoreless innings of relief in his only decision of the season. That was the first game of Kansas City’s stunning three-game season-ending sweep in Detroit that helped Minnesota win AL Central. … Because of Sunday’s rainout in Baltimore, Jorge De La Rosa and Gil Meche will pitch the final two games of the Detroit series, with Brandon Duckworth being moved back to Friday’s home game against Minnesota.
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Angels-Red Sox
LOS ANGELES: Shea Hillenbrand went 0-for-4 Monday and is in a 4-for-29 slump. … Closer Francisco Rodriguez appeared in his first game since last Wednesday. He retired the side in order in the eighth with one strikeout. … Orlando Cabrera’s first-inning homer was his sixth extra-base hit in his last 11 hits. … The Angels managed just two runs despite having runners in seven innings. … Garret Anderson entered with a .310 batting average at Fenway Park and went 2-for-4.
BOSTON: The Red Sox and Angels had their first Patriots Day matchup, a state holiday marking the anniversary of Paul Revere’s ride and the 1775 battles of Lexington and Concord. Boston has been scheduled to play at home on Patriots Day every year since 1959 and is 64-48 overall on the holiday. … The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Paul Revere III, a seventh generation descendant of the 1775 rider. … Boston starters have a 1.50 ERA in their last six games.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Braves-Nationals
me against. Florida. Asked whether Aybar gave a reason for his absence, Cox said: “He just didn’t show up.” Aybar is on the 15-day DL with a sprained right hand. … RHP Lance Cormier (strained right triceps) threw over the weekend and felt no pain, but Cox indicated the reliever would likely be out at least another 10 days to two weeks and would have a minor league rehab assignment before he is activated. … As with many teams, the Braves have been dealing with cold weather to start the season and were expecting gusts up to 55 mph Monday night. “We’ve had nothing but cold weather, like everyone else, and we’re from Atlanta,” Cox said. “We can complain all we want, but we haven’t had it near as bad as three or four other teams.”
poned because of the shootings. … Sunday’s rainout at New York was rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader on July 28.
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Brewers-Reds
MILWAUKEE: Rickie Weeks led off the third inning with a homer off Eric Milton, his third homer in the last four games. Weeks has scored at least one run in each of his last eight games. … Prince Fielder singled in his first at-bat. Fielder has hit safely in 11 of his 12 games this season. … The Brewers sent six batters to the plate in a 14-minute first inning, forcing Milton to throw 34 pitches in the half-inning.
CINCINNATI: The Reds honored Jackie Robinson before Monday’s game by showing highlights of his career on the video board. Chuck Harmon, 82, who was the Reds’ first black player, threw a ceremonial pitch to Ken Griffey Jr. Harmon made his major league debut with the Reds on April 17, 1954, against the Brooklyn Dodgers. … Griffey dropped Johnny Estrada’s fly ball for a run-scoring error in the first inning. It was Griffey’s second error in his new position of right field. … SS Alex Gonzalez is expected to rejoin the team on Tuesday. Gonzalez was placed on bereavement leave last Thursday so he could go to Venezuela because of a family illness.
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Marlins-Astros
FLORIDA: Rookie CF Alejandro De Aza was held out of Monday’s game with a sore ankle and is listed as day-to-day. “The trainers feel like he’s progressing,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said. … Gonzalez said right fielder Jeremy Hermida, who started the season on the disabled list with a bone bruise in his right knee, is improving. “He’s showing progress in that his workload is getting heavier day by day,” Gonzalez said. “He’s not running yet, but we’ll see how he does.” … 3B Miguel Cabrera has already impressed Gonzalez in the first few weeks of the season. “It’s amazing the discipline he has in the batter’s box,” Gonzalez said. “He’s a special young guy and we’re going to continue to see more great stuff in the future. … Gonzalez and six players and staff will visit NASA Tuesday. “I’m going to see if they can have simulators for pitchers and hitters,” Gonzalez joked. “Maybe if one of my guys gets in a slump, they can get in a simulator, get some at-bats and stuff. I’m going to have to ask those engineering guys.”
just inflammation in there that I got a cortisone shot to take care of that. I’ll just rest for a couple of weeks and try to get going again.” He is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts this season. … Houston ace Roy Oswalt will pitch Tuesday on three days’ rest to give fifth starter Chris Sampson an extra day to recover from a tight calf muscle. Astros manager Phil Garner said Oswalt was “very comfortable” with pitching on short rest. Sampson is scheduled to start Wednesday against Cincinnati. “He feels good,” Garner said. “We hopefully will have him at 100 percent and have that behind us and not have to worry about it anymore.”
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Padres-Cubs
I, started at shortstop instead of Khalil Greene.
CHICAGO: Manager Lou Piniella had indicated a lineup switch was coming, and he delivered Monday, moving Jacque Jones from right field to left and putting Matt Murton in right. Jones dropped to sixth in the order, with Murton in the cleanup spot. “We’re just changing things up a little bit,” Piniella said. “Nothing more, nothing less.” Jones had problems throwing last season. Asked if he needs a stronger arm in right, Piniella paused for about 15 seconds and said, “You guys ask tough questions. Ten, 11 games into the season, why can’t you all throw a softball right down the middle?” He laughed, but never answered the question. … One switch that is not under consideration at the moment: Moving Alfonso Soriano out of center field even though he began the night with a .234 average, no homers and one RBI. Piniella said the two had a “nice conversation” Monday and that Soriano is adamant about staying put. “We brought him in here to hit, and if center field is causing a problem, we want to eradicate that, but he feels very comfortable,” Piniella said. … C Michael Barrett may exchange a few pleasantries with former-Cubs star Greg Maddux before Tuesday’s game, but that’ll stop once they get on the field. “I’m going to try to hit a line drive off his head,” Barrett said, jokingly.
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Pirates-Cardinals
PITTSBURGH: LHP John Grabow, on the DL with elbow irritation, was scheduled for rehab stints Monday and Wednesday with Triple-A Indianapolis. … RHP Tony Armas, the fifth starter, made his lone start on April 7 due to rainouts and days off and was available for relief duty early in the week. His next start is Friday at Los Angeles. The team has compensated for the layoff with long side sessions. “Tony’s a veteran guy and he understands the situation,” manager Jim Tracy said. “You can get bounced around like that.” … The Pirates entered a two-game series in St. Louis with no errors in 56 consecutive innings and only four errors in the first 10 games overall. “As far as taking care of the baseball, we’ve done a terrific job,” Tracy said.
t foot. … Friday’s rainout against Milwaukee was rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader on July 28.
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Giants-Rockies
SAN FRANCISCO: Manager Bruce Bochy was less than pleased having two of three games rained out in Pittsburgh this early in the season. The upside, though, is his bullpen. “We have some fresh arms,” Bochy said with a grin. … The Giants’ 3-7 start is the team’s worst 10-game beginning since 1983 when they went 2-8. … Bonds wore No. 42 to commemorate Jackie Robinson. “He means a lot to all of us,” Bonds said.
COLORADO: RHP Byung-Hyun Kim was placed on the 15-day DL Monday with a bruised thumb on his pitching hand. The Rockies purchased the contract of RHP Zach McClellan from Triple-A Colorado Springs. … Manager Clint Hurdle informed reliever LaTroy Hawkins the team was going to turn to Manny Corpas to bridge the gap to closer Brian Fuentes. Hawkins is 0-3 this season. “We need to help him along and get him back in tune on what he does well,” Hurdle said. “He’s been inconsistent. We’ll get Corpas more involved.”
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Dodgers-Diamondbacks
LOS ANGELES: Manager Grady Little is concerned about RHP Jason Schmidt’s lack of velocity but said Schmidt remains on schedule to pitch at Colorado on Thursday. “We’re sure he’s going to get going,” Little said. Schmidt, who signed a $47 million, three-year contract with the Dodgers during the offseason, is 1-2 with a 7.36 ERA. … The Dodgers stole five bases against San Diego on Sunday night, the most since they stole seven on Aug. 23, 1999, against Milwaukee. … RHP Brett Tomko faces the Diamondbacks as the Dodgers wrap up a two-game series Tuesday night. Tomko is 7-6 with a 3.10 ERA in his career against Arizona.
ARIZONA: The return of OF Carlos Quentin, who had been on the DL with a shoulder injury. prompted an outfield shuffle that sent Eric Byrnes to left field and Scott Hairston to the bench. Hairston hit .256 with 4 RBI in his first 13 games. … LHP Doug Davis, acquired from Milwaukee during the offseason, is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in his first three starts for the Diamondbacks. He has allowed 22 hits and 12 walks – in 16 innings.
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